Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I ADORE sangria and so does my husband. We've been sipping sangria for years. Usually, I just kind of throw some lemonade...wine...brandy...fruit...and assorted other items that I have on hand and let them soak overnight. SO...for YEARS...that was my method. Finally, I decided to go ahead and follow a recipe and I have found THE perfect recipe..ready?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I found these AMAZING glass bubble beads a year or so ago, and stashed them away, along with so many others that I'll "get to some time." Yes, my studio is ... interesting. OK, I'm a bead hoarder. SO...what do you think? I am loving these new designs! You can see more at http://www.etsy.com/shop/KarmaBeads

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Last week, Etsy rolled out a new search mechanism (new to them)...entitled "Relevancy."

There's been a lot of buzzing noises in the Etsy forums, lots of complaints, and, frankly, I've been really watching my listing and stats, and have tweaked my listing and my tags to make my shop more "relevant"" but I honestly can't make heads or tails of it.

With that said..I LOVE IT. No longer will we have to open an Etsy search to find the same sellers dominating the first page EVERY TIME. The little guys are getting some attention. In the past, those who could afford to re-list, and re-list could do so and push out the people who couldn't afford to, and relied on their fresh listings to stay front page, albeit for only 10 minutes or so.

I've loved rediscovering some of the other glass sellers who have ORIGINAL ideas, no more decal-topped dichroic crap. If that's what you like...search for it. Otherwise, don't shove it down our throats.

Monday, August 8, 2011

I got a lovely email yesterday from a lady who needed a cherry tree. She has just retired from a long career and wanted to treat herself! I was so flattered. I made this precious tree, with K.D. Lange singing in the background of my studio. Life is good.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

I have a fascination with Gingko leaves. No idea why, maybe it's their color, or their interesting shape...not sure, but I love them.

I was out on a nature walk along Lansing's Rivertrail, and I came upon my favorite Gingko tree. It's like running into an old friend. So, I admired her beauty for a while, and gently removed a few of her leaves from inconspicuous places.

SO excited, I came down to my glass studio, and went to work. I coated this leaf with various colors of powdered glass (frit) and fused this leaf right into some black glass. This is a test piece. Now, I'm off to have some REAL fun with this technique and the rest of my gingko leaves! stay tuned. <3